Method of continuously cleaning and drawing wire



@ m Mm? E. BOLEY METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY CLEANING AND DRAWING WIRE Filed Dec. 27T 1920 Patented @et 9, i923,

uw En ERNST BOLEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY F NE'W JERSEY, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY CLEANING AND DRAWING WIRE.

Application filed December 27, 1920.

To all tlf/10m t n? c/y/ concern Be it known that l, ERNST BoLEY. a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cleveland. in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Continuously Cleaning and Drawing lVire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of wire, and more particularly relates to the cleaning and drawing methods used in makv ing wire from bundles of hot rolled rods'- ln existing methods of making wirerv from rolled rods, which are received from the rolling mill in coils or bundles weighing from 150 up to 300 pounds or more, the rods, when received at the cleaning house` are covered with a coating of iron oXid or scale which must be removed preparatory to commencing the reduction of the rods into wire by the drawing thereof through one or more dies.

After reaching the cleaning house a con` siderable number of bundles of rods are placed on a rack or pin, (a device used in handling the bundled rods in the cleaning house) and are conveyed thereon3 either manually or mechanically, to a pickling vat which contains a heated solution of sulfuric acid.

The pin with. its load of bundles is then lowered into the pickling vat, the rods bcing immersed in the dilute sulfuric acid forming the pickling solution, standing therein for twenty to thirty minutes.

The acid solution in the vat attacks the scale on the surfaces of the rods so as to loosen and dissolve the coating of scale and clean the bundles of rods while they are in the vat.

The pin with its load of pickled rods is then removed from the vat to a water vat, and is dipped therein to remove any free acid clinging to the cleaned surfaces of thel bundles.l

After being washed in this manner, the bundle laden pin is removed and transferred to a sulling rack where the bundles of rods on the pin are placed under a water spray and remain for from fifteen to twenty-five minutes to sull the rods, i. e., cause the clean, scale free surfaces of the rods to become slightly oxidized.

Serial No. 433,281.

At the completion of the sulling opera,- tion, the bundles are removed from the pin and are transferred, one by one, to a vat containing a solution of calcium hydroxid, a lime solution preferably being used.

The bundles of rods are dipped into the calcium hydroXid solution to neutralize any remaining free'acid'on the rods and to apply a coating ofcalcium hydroxidlto the surfaces of the rods,thiswcoating forming a lubricant carrier thereon which is of advantage in the subsequent wire drawing operations.

The rods` which are still coiled in bundles, are then conveyed to a drying house, and are placed in drying ovens where they are dried or baked at a temperature high enough to drive off the water in the coating and any occluded hydrogen, and harden the coating of calcium hydroxid on the surfaces of the rods.

The bundles are then removed from the drying ovens and are transferred to the draw bench or blocks in readiness to be drawn down into wire,

Each bundle is then uncoiled and as uncoiled is drawn through a die on the draw bench in the usual known manner, and as drawn is again coiled into a bundle, the rod or wire being formed into a coil or bundle after each drawing operation.

In as far as l am aware, it is the universal practice in all commercial wire drawing operations to first pickle, then wash, then sull,7 then dry, and then coat the rods, in preparation for the wire drawing operations, while the rods are in bundles, and to again coil the wire after each drawing operation in prepafation for a later drawing operation.

It will be obvious that when a series of rods in the form of coils or bundles are immersed in an acid pickling solution that the rods will be over-pickled in the-more exposed portions of the bundles, while the less exposed portions thereof will not be effectively scaled or cleaned, and that in afterward washing the adhering acid solution from the pickled bundles, the less exposed portions of the rods may retain some acid thereon, causing acid brittleness and later preventing the less exposed portions of lll) the surfaces of the rods from being uniformly sulled and covered with the lime coating.

It also will be readily apparent that to handle each bundle, either manually or mechanically, before and after the successive steps of this old method involves many handlings, requires much labor, and causes great expense in the transforming of rods into wire.

One object of my invention is the provision of a novel method of cleaning and drawing wire rods into wire, wherein the necessity of bundling the rods or wire and of handling and conveying the rods or wire while in bundles from the commencement of the scale removing operation until the completion of the drawing operation or opcra tions, is entirely avoided and overcome.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method of removing the scale and cleaning the rods preparatory to the Wire drawing operation, wherein acid brittleness is prevented, a uniformly cleaned surface is obtained, and the formation of smut on the materials being cleaned is j overcome, and whereby the time required for cleaning the rods is materially lessened and a better product is obtained.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a continuous method of cleaning and dra-wing wire, wherein the successive steps in the cleaning and drawing operations are simultaneously carried out on different portions of a given length of the wire or rods.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making wire wherein the rods are continuously cleaned and drawn into wire, and whereby the bundles of cgreen rods, after being placed on ythe reels without cleaning, are successively scaled and cleaned, coated and drawn into wire without intermediate bundling, handling, or lifting operations, the labor necessary in making the wire greatly reduced, and a material reduction in the cost of cleaning and drawing rods into wire is effected.

These and other objects and advantages will be more fully brought out and explained in the following description and appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this speciiication, in which-- Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of one arrangement of apparatus adapted for use in carrying out the method forming my invention.

' Figure 2 is a similar side elevation, partly in section, of other portions of the apparatus.

By connecting the line X-X of Figure l, with the line X-X of Figure 2 a complete side elevation of the apparatus will he had.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a spool or reel for holding a bundle of the uncleaned rods at the rear of a mechanical scale remover B, comprising a frame 2 having a plurality of horizontal shea-ve wheels or rollers 3, and a second plurality of vertical sheave wheels or rollers 4e journaled thereon.

A series of troughs C, D, E, and F are disposed successively forward of and in line with the mechanical scale remover B, each being` of substantially the same construction, with the exception that preferably the trough C is of much greater length than the other troughs D, E, and F.

Each trough comprises a rectangular body portion ,G supported on a stand 7 and having an anti-friction bearing roller 8 journaled in suitable bearings at each end of the troughs to support the rods as they pass into and out of the troughs. Either one or more rollers 9 are journaled within the troughs intermediate their ends and spaced from the bottom thereof, and the rods are adapted to pass thereunder so as to be held submerged in the liquid within the troughs.

rThe trough C contains a heated solution of sulfuric, muria-tic or other acid, which serves to clean off or remove any small particles of scale remaining on the rods after they pass through the mechanical scale remover. The trough D contains hot water for washing the pickled rods so as to remove any free acid on the rods.

The trough E is a sull7 trough and contains a suitable sull mixture which is heated and which becomes deposited on the rods in passing the rods through the sull in this trough. This trough is not necessarily used when drawing wire through the hole of one die block, but is essential when continuously drawing through the holes of more than one die block. The trough F is a coating trough and contains preferably a heated solution of lime' which forms a lubricant carrying coat'-v ing on the rods and also neutralizes the efi fect of any remaining acid on the rods. lf desired, the sull and lime coating troughs may be combined, in which case a single trough containing a. combined solution of sull and lime, or other lubricant carrier will be used.

It will be understood and especially noted that other acids and othercoatings may be used, and that this invention is not limited to those specified above.

A draw bench having a drawing block G is disposed forward of the troughV F, and, desirably, is spaced a considerable distance therefrom so as to permitV the lime coating to dryfon the rods before they reach the draw bench and are drawn. lf found necessary or desirable, an artificial drying box X may be mounted in the space between the trough F and G, to more thoroughly dry the rods.

lltl

The bench G comprises a frame 10 having a plurality of die boxes 1l mounted thereon, through which the rods are successively drawn to reduce them to the desired size wire.

Forward of each die boX is a wire block l2 which is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured on a driven shaft 13 journaled in the frame 10. Each of the blocks, with the exception of the last block, has a suitable pressure roller l5 mounted on a crank arm 15, these rollers being pivoted on the 'frame l0 and being adapted to bear against a portion of the convolutions of wire on the block to hold said convolutions taut. The rod, as drawn through the die, is wrapped on the block and held by the pressure roller 15. When the space under the roller becomes filled, each additional convolution will force out a convolution from under the roller and allow it to hang loosely on the block. The wire from the loose convolutions or coils is then passed or drawn through the next succeeding` die and coiled on a block in a similar manner, and this performance is repeated until the last die is reached, when the wire is wrapped on a take-up block which does not have the pressure rollers, but wraps all of the wire tightly on the block, Eachsucceeding drawing block is rotated at a. greater speed than its preceding block to take up as near as possible the added length of wire caused by drawing. However, any variations in length are compensated for by the loose coils or convolutions on the block preceding the drawing die. This structure and method of drawing wire through several blocks will not be gone into further, since it is made the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 433,283, filed December 27, 1920.

1When only a single block and die is to be used, as when the wire is given but a single draft, only the foremost block or takeup block will be used, in such case being mounted on the shaft immediately forward of the first die.

This invention is not limited to any number of drafts, and the rods may be drawn through one or more dies as desired, although when it is desired to pass the rods through more than one draft it is essential that the sull coating be used prior to or in combination with the lime. The method as carried out in accordance with this invention, is as follows* The rods to be cleaned and drawn are delivered to the rear end of the apparatus, and a bundle. or bundles thereof are mounted on the reel A, then unwound and a single strand thereof threaded over and under (not around) the sheaves 3 and 4 of the mechanical scale remover B, then passing over the rollers 8 and under the rollers 9 of each successive trough so that it will pass through the ingredients in each, and lastly, be drawn through the dies and connected to the block of the drawing bench.

As the block rotates, the rod will be pulled through the mechanical scale, breaker' B,

which will ballffwallmoifmpractically"all scale by working or linliing the rods horizontally and vertically. The so scaled rod then passes through the acid trough C which will remove any traces of remaining scale, and then through the hot water trough D to wash off any free acid adhering to the rod, then through the sull coating trough E. wherein the rod will receive a deposit of sull, thence through the lime solution trough F, wherein any free acid remaining on the rod will be neutralized, and a` lime coating deposited thereon. After passing through the lime trough l?, the rod passes through a considerable open space to dry the coating of lime, and then passes through either one or more of .the drawing dies, on the drawing bench G.

If it is desired to only draw the rod through one die, i. e., a single draft, the sulling may be omitted. and the rod run over the trough E, and through the trough F, or if a combined sull and lime bath is used, the trough F may be omitted and the rod run directly to the drawing bench G,

where a suitable lubricant would be applied.

The rods are drawn at a considerable speed and, therefore, remain in each trough only a fractional part of a minute., thereby reducing the time of cleaning and preparing the rods from a number of hours to less than a minute. This reduction in time is made possible due to the fact that the scale is mechanically removed and all intermediate handling, transporting, baking, etc., is eliminated.

The rods are in better condition for drawing since the whole surface of each rod is evenly cleaned, and a uniform coating is deposited on the cleaned surface.

Acid brittleness, a` common defectin the old method of cleaning rods, and which, by the long immersion of the rods in the acid piclrling bath caused occluded hydrogen to be produced in the metal, is eliminated under the present method, since the rods are in the acid bath for but a fraction of a minute, and each portion of the length of the rod is in the bathl for the same time interval.

wing to the short time the rods are immersed in the acid bath in my improved method, no smut or carbon deposit is formed thereon, while with the old method of cleaning heretofore used, the long immersion in the acid necessary to suiiiciently clean the rods of scale, also dre-w out a certain amount of the carbon from the metal, forming a gritty sooty smut or carbon deposit, which, when the rods were being drawn, cut the f-.L dies, caused breaki the rods being drawn, and retarded the drawing operations.

The present method entirely avoids the disadvantages of the old and cumbersome cleaning method universally used heretofore, removes the necessity for a drying house, and eliminates the heavy manual labor required in lifting the bundles of rods between the successive steps of the method heretofore used.

Under the present method the rods are delivered in bundles to the apparatus shown in the drawings as received from the rod mill in which they are rolled, and are then uncoiled and passed continuously through the cleaning mechanism and different baths and drawn through one or more dies and formed into wire without' any intermediate handling or delays in the continuity of the steps of the method.

In carrying out my invention, all portions of the rods are uniformly treated, since the bundles or rolls of rods are uncoiled and passed in a single strand through the cleaning mechanism and baths.

From the above it will readily be understood and apparent that this invention provides a method of continuously cleaning and drawing wire without intermediate handling` or conveying the rods from the time they are delivered from the rolling mill for cleaning until after the finished product is produced.

I claim l. In the manufacture of wire fnom bundled rods, the method which consists in gradually uncoiling the bundled rods and subjecting the sequentially uncoiled portions thereof, successively, to scale removing, piclrling and coatingy ope-rations, prior toV the drawing operation, and then subjecting the coated rods to at least one cold drawing operation.

f2. In the manufacture of wire from bundled rods, the method which consists in gradually uncoiling the bundled rods and subjecting the sequentially uncoiled portions thereof, successively, tovmechanical scale removing, pickling, washing, sulling, coating and drying operations, prio-r to the drawing operation, then subjecting the coated rods to at least one cold drawing operation, and simultaneously operating on different portions of the rods in said series of operations.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

ERNST BOLEY. 

